Melbourne

Melbourne is most definitely Australia’s culture capital. This cosmopolitan city is dripping with restaurants, cafés, art galleries, museums and fashion. Plus, it’s just a short day trip away from world renowned natural wonders, incredible wildlife and premium wine regions.

Located in Australia’s southern state of Victoria, Melbourne is Australia’s second largest city with a growing population of more than 4 million people. It’s a vibrant city with just the right architectural mix of colonial heritage and contemporary design; from the European grandeur of Flinders Street Station to the brave innovation of Federation Square.

The city is a gateway to an array of amazing adventures. Travel east of the city and experience one of the world’s best road trips on the Great Ocean Road. This winding road runs between lush green farm land and the rugged southern coastline of Australia. It will lead you to popular surfing beaches and the world renowned Twelve Apostles.

Melbourne is a city of foodies and nothing delights them more than a good bottle of wine to accompany their meal. The nearby Yarra Valley is Victoria’s premium wine region producing internationally recognised wines in a range of classic styles. You’ll find more wineries and even a strawberry farm to amuse your taste buds on the picturesque Mornington Peninsula just south of the city.

If it’s wildlife you’re after, look no further than Phillip Island. Just a two hour drive from Melbourne, this charming island is home to a colony of approximately 32,000 Little Penguins. Watch as these adorable little creatures scurry out of the sea and onto the sand each night during the famous Penguin Parade.

The town of Ballarat, North West of Melbourne, was founded during the gold rush of the 1850s. You can immerse yourself in the colour and excitement of the town’s gold rush era at the interactive outdoor museum, Sovereign Hill. Further west you’ll find one of the world’s oldest and most impressive mountain ranges, Grampians National Park. This region boasts a myriad of native wildlife, ancient Aboriginal rock art and spectacular views.

Victoria’s cooler climate means it’s the perfect place for some fun in the snow. Travel across the Great Dividing Range three hours North East of Melbourne and you’ll come to the beautiful Mt. Buller snowfields. There’s 300 hectares of skiable terrain, scenic panoramas and plenty of places to eat, drink and relax after a day of skiing.

Uncover a world of old and new, of art and culture and of food and wine. Melbourne offers all this and more in one cosmopolitan city. As Australia’s second largest city, Melbourne may not bask in as much of the limelight as the bigger and flashier Sydney. But look a little deeper and you’ll see why many Australians (well, Melburnians at least) believe this city is the best in Australia.
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The journey along Victoria’s Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s most scenic coastal drives and is an experience that sits high on many travellers’ bucket lists. It begins just an hour and a half’s drive from Melbourne and then stretches for 243 kilometres between Torquay and Warrnambool with amazing views the whole way through.
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Located north-east of Melbourne is the Yarra Valley, a picturesque rural landscape surrounding the Yarra River and bordered by the stunning Great Dividing Range and Dandenong Ranges.The Yarra Valley is Victoria’s oldest and most famous wine regions and is one of Australia’s leading cool climate wine producing regions.
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Phillip Island is the perfect place to see Australian wildlife up close and in its natural environment including kangaroos and the largest colony of fur seals in Australia. Not only is the island teeming with marvellous wildlife, but the scenery is also spectacular. En route to the must see Penguin Parade, you’ll see the ‘Nobbies’, a set of unique rock formations located at the western tip of the island with a backdrop of gorgeous coastal scenery.
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Escape to the Mornington Peninsula, a tucked away region just south of Melbourne boasting storybook scenery dotted with cute hobby farms, quaint townships and scenic coastlines. Only an hour’s drive from Melbourne, the Mornington Peninsula is brimming with boutique wineries, fruit orchards and historic attractions.
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The Grampians National Park is one of the world’s oldest and most spectacular mountain ranges. Made up of a series of five sandstone ridges, together the Grampians form one of the most remarkable natural protrusions in Australia.
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The town of Ballarat, north west of Melbourne, was founded during the gold rush era of the 1850s. As word spread that the Ballarat region was home to one of the largest deposits of alluvial gold ever discovered, thousands came from all over the world seeking their fortune.
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Spend a day away from the city with a winter escape to the scenic and exhilarating Mt. Buller snowfields. Travel just three hours north east of Melbourne and you’ll feel a world away, high in the snow covered mountains.
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AAT Kings is Australia’s favourite guided holiday company, with over 100 years of experience. Our wide range of Day Tours, Short Breaks and Guided Holidays are the perfect way to experience the best of Australia & New Zealand.